| Nahal Taninim | |
|---|---|
| Wadi az-Zarka | |
 Nahal Taninim | |
  Location in Israel | |
| Location | Hof HaCarmel Regional Council,Israel |
| Coordinates | 32°32′51″N34°54′54″E / 32.54750°N 34.91500°E /32.54750; 34.91500 |
Nahal Taninim orTanninim (Hebrew:נחל תנינים,lit. 'Crocodiles Stream') orWadi az-Zarka (Arabic:وَادِي الزرقاء,lit. 'Blue Stream') is a river inIsrael near theArabtownJisr az-Zarqa, originating nearRamot Menashe and emptying into theMediterranean Sea south ofMa'agan Michael. It marks the southern limit of the Hof HaCarmel, orCarmel Coastal Plain region.
there is a dam on the river channel that is used for a nearby plant. in the rainy season if the water level is high enough, the water is diverted to a reservoir to enrich thegroundwater.
The river is named for theNile crocodiles that inhabited the nearby Kebara swamps until the early 20th century. The last crocodile was hunted in 1912[1][2] and is part of a Germantaxidermic collection currently on display at thenatural history museum of the Tel Aviv University.[3]
The remains ofKrokodelion polis, Greek for "Crocodiles City", a city established there in thePersian period (5th–4th century BCE), are still visible today.[4]
See also the mythological monsterTannin.
The nameRiver of Crocodiles dates as far back as theThird Crusade, during which the crocodiles devoured two knights who were bathing in the river.[5]
The area of the basin and its tributaries is about 200 square kilometers, including the Taninim, Ada, Barkan, Alona and Mishmarot streams. Nahal Taninim is the cleanest of Israel's coastal rivers.[1] Three waterways meet in Nahal Taninim: the natural stream, a Roman aqueduct extending from the Zabrin springs to Caesarea, and Mifale Menashe, the waterworks that collectsurface runoff water and springwater, routing it into the subterranean water table.[6]
The dense undergrowth and reeds along Nahal Taninim are home to many different birds, among them watersidewarblers and other songbirds.[7]
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